Acquisition of Flow Cytometer for Interdisciplinary Research and Undergraduate Training

Cuny Brooklyn College, Brooklyn NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award is for a FACS bench-top flow cytometer for an interdisciplinary group of researchers from three science departments at Brooklyn College. This flow cytometer will be used for the following research projects: (1) Cell cycle progress in yeast cells mutated in anaphase motor proteins, (2) The study of fusion-defective mutants of Chlamydomonas, (3) Studies of the oxidative effects of diet and environmental pollutants, (4) Identification of host receptors involved in transformation of plants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which causes crown gall disease, (5) Environmental and biodiversity studies of microalgae, and (6) Microsphere-based assays for ion analysis in environmental samples. In addition to these research projects, the flow cytometer will be used for experiments in undergraduate laboratory courses. The flow cytometer will open new opportunities to researchers from different departments, and it will introduce undergraduate and graduate research students to this important technique, which until now they were only able to read about in the literature. Underrepresented minority students will benefit from this flow cytometer through programs to enroll these students in the college.